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A great and still young actor is gone. Drug addiction does not discriminate in who gets hooked and sick or dead. Reports on the news say heroin dealers in the East Village who may have sold to Hoffman were busted Tuesday. Very sad and heroin has returned as a huge problem.

« Last Edit: February 04, 2014, 11:45:40 PM by Jody »

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"Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world". "Try to discover that you are the song that the morning brings."

Heroin use has skyrocketed here. They say it is because pain pills have gotten harder to get. I recently read an article here about Hep C cases on the rise, and they blame it on heroin use. If that's true, then I have to wonder what kind of increase we will see in HIV infections.

Heroin use has skyrocketed here. They say it is because pain pills have gotten harder to get. I recently read an article here about Hep C cases on the rise, and they blame it on heroin use. If that's true, then I have to wonder what kind of increase we will see in HIV infections.

Are needle exchange programs in the US still prohibited by Federal law? I know they still were about ten years ago, despite the fact that study after study has shown that needle exchange programs do NOT encourage people to inject drugs, but rather have the opposite effect in helping/encouraging more people to get into rehab programs. They are also highly cost-effective due to the disease prevention they provide.

More people will always end up with hep C than hiv through sharing needles. Hep C is much more easily transmitted than hiv, because it's more robust and remains viable outside the body for far longer than hiv. Another reason is because a person with hep C will typically have a VL in the millions, making them comparatively more infectious than someone with (untreated) hiv who will typically only have a VL in the tens of thousands (aside from during primary infection).

There are far more people living with hep C in the US (and world) than there are hiv. In the US an estimated 3.9 million have hep C, compared to 1.1 million with hiv. World-wide, an estimated 130–170 million people have hep C, compared to an estimated 35 million with hiv.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

I cant remember if it was a state program or not but there was a group in Southern California that would deliver and exchange needles but they required personal information that kept many from using the service .

When I was on Fuzeon but using the Biojector2000 for delivery I took my unused syringes to Prevention Point, the only needle exchange program in Philadelphia (and the state). They have a mobile van unit that does exchanges in many locations throughout the city, since we're evidently the heroin epicenter of the Northeast. There have been 20 overdoses recently related to fentanyl-laced heroin.

A friend of mine also used to take his over to Camden, NJ across the river for a similar program. That one has been running at least six years.

While this is obviously needed nationally I think in high intensity areas it's been allowed to move forward -- QUIETLY.

It wasn't just the amount he was using but the quality of the heroin. Apparently they have extremely potent heroin on the market at the moment. It is very sad that someone so talented was taken so young. He had started his road to heroin with pain pill usage years and years ago. Seems a lot of people go that same route.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Actually, Ann, I probably should have said "high intensity liberal areas" as I seriously can't see this being done in rural counties in the South with high rates of new infections.

But perhaps I am wrong and someone here can chime in and correct me on this. It's one of the most atrocious facets of the epidemic when the CDC has been pressing politicians for this annually for two decades.

Yes, I realised you probably meant it was happening quietly in liberal urban areas. While it's good that some places are getting around the problem, it totally sucks to the point of being criminal that needle exchange programs aren't available nation-wide. It's like conservative politicians want people to end up with preventable, blood-borne pathogens and other health issues related to sharing (and re-using) syringes. Makes my blood boil.

"...health will finally be seen not as a blessing to be wished for, but as a human right to be fought for." Kofi Annan

Nymphomaniac: a woman as obsessed with sex as an average man. Mignon McLaughlin

HIV is certainly character-building. It's made me see all of the shallow things we cling to, like ego and vanity. Of course, I'd rather have a few more T-cells and a little less character. Randy Shilts

Given the evidence from the various now Quite long running needle exchange programs that have been in existence , I do wonder if a action in Law could get anywhere. As the continuing decision to outlaw the programs can not be said to be an evidence based decision .

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"If we can find the money to kill people, we can find the money to help people ." Tony Benn